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UNITFD* STATES-PATENT OFFICE.A

HENRY GROSVITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FoUR'rI-Is To cHARLEsw. KENNEDY AND RANsoM F; RANKIN, BOTH oF SAME PLACE.

GALvANlc BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,726, dated .my 9, 1889.

A Application led April 16, 1889. Serial No. 307,399. (No model.)

To di whom zt may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GRosWIrII, a citizen of the United States, and a .resi-dent of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainvnew and useful Improvements in Galvanic Batteries; and I do hereby declare that` the following-is .a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication, and in Which- Figure lis a side elevation of my improved battery; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sc ctional view, on a vertical plane, of the same.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in both the iigures.`

My invention relates to batteries for generating galvanic electricity, adapted for the operation of electric motors and for other purposes, and has for` its object to increase the Vitality of such batteries, or, in other Words, render them toa certain degree constant, and thus obviatethe frequent refilling or replenishing of the cells with the exciting-liquor. With this object in View Iny improvement consists in the combination, with the battery, of an automatically-operating feed or replenishing tank for supplying fresh liquor to the cells as the same is required, as well as maintaining the proper density of the liquor to keep the battery in proper Working order, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, In the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes a galvanic battery composed of any desired number of Bunsen or other cells B. These cells are' connected to one another by oblique pipes C, passing through their eide discharged into a barrel orother suitable re- 5o ceptacle placed below the pipe.

Covering the top of the battery is a closed tank E, preferably of such shape and dimensions that it will conform to the outline of the battery (for example rectangular) and forma topor covering for the same. In the top of this tank is an aperture F,'tl1rough which it may be filled, said aperturebeing closed bya tightly-fitting sc rew-plu g or other suitable airtight stopper f.

The liquor contained in the tank is discharged through the bottom pipe G into the iirst cell B in the series, from which it iiows into the next adjacent cell B2 -through the straight outside connecting-pipe C. When the liquor in this cell has risen to the height of the oblique pipe C, connecting it to the next adj acent cell or jar, it flows through said pipe into the next cell or jar, and so on through the entire seriestill all the cells are 7o citant and hermetically sealed by the plug f,

covering the filling-aperture F, it will flow through the outlet or bottom pipe G into cell B', and from this throughthe several connect- 8 5 ing-pipes C and C until the battery has been properly charged. Willen the liquor in the several cells has risen to alevel with the discharge-pipe D and the lower end of the ventpipe I-I, the latterwill be sealed by the liquor, 9o and thus cut oif the supply o'f air to tank E, which results in stopping the flow of liquor.` As, however, during 'the working of 'the battery liquor is gradually used up, and its level in consequence sinks below pipe I-I, air will again be admitted through said pipe into the tank, and suflicient liquor will be admitted into the battery to make up for the loss. x In this manner it will be seen that the battery will bekept constantly charged With its proper supply of liquor, so as to keep it at all times and automatically at its maximum capacity for Working.

As an additional safeguard in the event that the vent-pipe H should become stopped up, or air should be admitted into the tank through an imperfectly-fitting stopper, or if for any other unforeseen reason the device should fail to Work properly, I employ an auxiliary device consisting of a hydrometer I, which is pivotally attached to the outer end of a delicately-poised lever J, the other end of which is connected by a hinge-joint With a valve g in pipe G and so arranged that when the float or bulb of the hydrometer sinks below the level of pipes D and G the valve Will be opened,

while when it (the iioat) rises by the increased density of the liquor to its proper level the valve will be closed. By these means l provide for any contingencies or unforeseen emergencies, so that the battery Will be kept in constant Working order as long as any liquor remains in the supply-tank- The object of using ahydrometer for Voperating the valve-actuating lever instead of a plain float is to actuate this lever by the s1e cific gravity or density of the liquor in the cells, which decreases as the liquor becomes spent, thereby lowering the hydrometer and thus opening` the supply-valve and supplying fresh liquor until the proper density or gravity has been restored. By th ese means notl only is the height of the liquor in the battery kept permanent, but its quality (density) Will be' kept up as Well.

Having thus described my invention,I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. The combination of the battery, the supply-tank, the out-let or overflow pipe, the pipes connecting the several cells of the battery to oneY another, the vent=pipe, the feed-pipe havtank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY GROSVITH.

Vitnesses:

R. F. RANKIN, C. W. KENNEDY. 

